Written Answers Friday 25 January 2008

Scottish Executive

Adoption

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to adoption services in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Adam Ingram: Funding allocations were not calculated with specific reference to adoption services within grant aided expenditure for these years. Whilst local government had flexibility to allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to local government under the more general heading of Casework and Related Administration – Children, which would include adoption services, were as follows:

  2003-04: £66.4 million

  2004-05: £68.9 million

  2005-06: £71.5 million

  2006-07: £73.4 million.

  Some spending on children and young people will have been subsumed within budgets that covered services to people of all ages - e.g. community health - and as such, it is not possible to identify the total budget for children and young people over this period. It is not therefore possible to present this as a percentage of the budget for children and young people.

Children and Young People

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the Changing Children’s Services Fund in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Adam Ingram: Whilst local government had flexibility to allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to local government for the Changing Children’s Services Fund from 2003 to 2007 were as follows:

  2003-04: £49.166 million

  2004-05: £60.5 million

  2005-06: £65.5 million

  2006-07: £65.5 million.

  Some spending on children and young people will have been subsumed within budgets that covered services to people of all ages - e.g. community health - and as such, it is not possible to identify the total budget for children and young people over this period. It is not therefore possible to present this as a percentage of the budget for children and young people.

Class Sizes

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what figure has been allowed for in the local government settlement to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: Local government will receive £34.8 billion over three years in overall financial support, an increase of £1.4 billion. Moreover provided local authorities sign a single outcome agreement ring-fenced funding streams will be reduced and councils will be able to redeploy all efficiency savings. However, this government doesn’t believe in dictating to local government. It will be the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including class sizes reduction.

Class Sizes

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to monitor the impact of a reduction of class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: There will be an agreement with every local authority that signs up to the concordat. We will receive annual reports on the progress that is being made from each local authority. The school census will also collect annual data on class sizes throughout Scotland.

Class Sizes

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the findings of the final report of the Class Sizes, Staffing and Resources Working Group that to reduce class sizes to 20 in primary 1 to primary 3 would require an additional 4,000 teachers at the following costs: (a) training costs of £84 million, (b) probation year costs of £213 million, (c) salary costs at point 1 of £233 million and (d) salary costs at point 6 of £309 million.

Adam Ingram: The estimate referred to was first prepared in 2005 and reflects the situation at that time in the light of the assumptions made. The report was commissioned by the previous Scottish Executive and developed under terms of reference determined by them at that time.

Class Sizes

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the Class Sizes, Staffing and Resources Working Group Report.

Fiona Hyslop: The report was commissioned by the previous Scottish Executive and developed under terms of reference determined by them at the time. The recommendations of the group focussed on future research. These will be taken into account when considering the need for further research in this area.

Domestic Abuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children and young people were admitted to hospital in Grampian as a result of domestic violence in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: The requested information is not centrally available.

  There is no specific diagnosis for domestic violence as coded by International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th Revision).

  Statistics on incidents of domestic abuse reported to the police are published annually, most recently in November 2007. The bulletin, Domestic Abuse Recorded by the Police in Scotland, 2006-07, can be accessed via the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/11/22153700/0.

First Minister

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what gifts the First Minister has received since May 2007.

Bruce Crawford: Since May 2007 to 3 January 2008, the First Minister has received 72 gifts. Under the terms of the Scottish Ministerial Code, the First Minister may retain gifts of a value less than £140. Sixty-eight gifts fall into this category. Of these, 12 were alcohol, four were food, two were glass or crystal ware, three were ornaments, one was jewellery, seven were art, 16 were books, three were china, five were clothing and 15 were outside these categories. Of these 68 gifts, 39 are on display or have been sent to the Human Resources Directorate while 29 have been retained for private use. Full details of all Ministerial gifts will be published annually in the usual manner.

  Details of the four gifts valued above £140 are set out in the following table.

  

Organisation
Date Received
Gift Type
Description
Gift Status


Philips
June 2007
Ornament
Lladro Gas Lamp Lighter
On Display


John Lowrie Morrison
16/06/2007
Art
JoLoMo Painting
On Display


Scottish Power
06/12/2007
Commemorative Plaque
Silver plated commemorative plaque
On Display


Sabhal Mor Ostaig
19/12/2007
Art
Tom MacIntosh Print
On Display

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to implement the decision regarding funding registered social landlords, as stated in Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland , to "consult separately in the coming weeks on detailed proposals for getting better value from the current arrangements with effect from early in the financial year April 2008-09".

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government’s consultation on proposals for getting better value for Housing Association Grant will be launched in February.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vandalism-related arrests were made by Grampian Police from 2003 to 2007 and, of these, how many were of individuals aged from (a) 10 to 15, (b) 16 to 18, (c) 18 to 25 and (d) over 25.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of arrests made by the police is not held centrally, only the number of crimes recorded. Statistics on the number of crimes of vandalism recorded in the Grampian Police Force Area, 2003-04 to 2007-08, are available in the answer given to parliamentary question S3W-8319. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  Questions & Answers Search.

Justice

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what costs were incurred by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as a result of the prosecutions that took place following the inquiry into the causes of the Stockline disaster.

Right Hon Elish Angiolini QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service do not routinely record the costs of individual cases. However, officials are able to estimate the cost of the ICL Tech and ICL Plastics Ltd prosecution from information available at £654,000.

Justice

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers Inverness Sheriff Court to be fit for purpose.

Fergus Ewing: Inverness Sheriff Court has been progressively modernised over the years and continues to be fit for purpose. Following Court Unification the Scottish Court Service will acquire part of the North Tower adjacent to Inverness Sheriff Court and will programme refurbishment work to ensure our courts continue to be fit for purpose.

Justice

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases in each of the last three years have been postponed or moved to other premises due to a lack of facilities at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total costs were for the use of other premises to stage cases that should have proceeded at Inverness Sheriff Court in each of the last three years.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any cases due to be held in Inverness Sheriff Court but held elsewhere have caused other cases to be delayed and, if so, how many.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what technical or administrative problems have led to cases due to be dealt with at Inverness Sheriff Court being held elsewhere.

Fergus Ewing: During the last three years one case due to be held in Inverness Sheriff Court has been held elsewhere. This was a Fatal Accident Inquiry on 9 January 2008, which was held in Dingwall Sheriff Court as a result of a heating system fault in the North Tower at Inverness Sheriff Court. No additional costs were incurred for the use of other premises as the case was moved to Dingwall Sheriff Court. There was no business planned in Dingwall Sheriff Court that day and therefore no cases were delayed as a result.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Review of Civil Judicial Statistics Advisory Board last met and when it will publish its recommendations.

Fergus Ewing: The Project Board for the Review of Civil Judicial Statistics last met on 13 April 2006. Correspondence with the board has occurred since this meeting via email, with the most recent communication taking place during summer 2007.

  As part of the review, research has recently been carried out with users, and potential users, of civil judicial statistics, to identify their data requirements and suggestions for a revised Civil Judicial Statistics publication. The next step for the review is to consider each of the responses submitted as part of this research, and develop a specification for the revised dataset and publication. The first draft of this specification is expected to be produced by spring 2008.

  Further details of the Review of Civil Judicial Statistics can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/review-civjudicial-stats.

NHS Equipment

Aileen Campbell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the additional funding for wheelchair services allocated in each year of the spending review will be distributed, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) parliamentary constituency and (c) local authority within the South of Scotland region and what the funding levels would be without the additional allocation.

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the additional funding for wheelchair services allocated in each year of the spending review will be distributed, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) parliamentary constituency and (c) local authority within Central Scotland region and what the funding levels would be without the additional allocation.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will provide a total of £16 million of additional funding, over the next three financial years (2008-09 to 2011-12), to reconfigure and modernise NHS wheelchair and seating services. The resources will be allocated to the five rehabilitation centres in Scotland following the submission of a robust business case from each of the five centres, and its approval by the Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Board.

  In 2006-07 NHS boards provided approximately £15 million in total for wheelchair and seating services. Further detailed analysis is not available in the format requested.

NHS Hospitals

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the new guidance regarding car parking charges at hospitals in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area will be published.

Nicola Sturgeon: Revised guidance on hospital car park charging was published by the Scottish Government on 18 January 2008. A copy of the guidance is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

NHS Hospitals

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether car parking charges will not be introduced at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Vale of Leven Hospital or Royal Alexandra Hospital if all measures to manage car parking at these hospitals are undertaken by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and it is proved that charges are not justified at the hospitals which were not included in the original consultation exercise carried out by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to determine in light of the revised guidance whether charging is necessary and justified to manage the car parking space available at Inverclyde Royal, Vale of Leven and Royal Alexandra hospitals.

  In accordance with the revised car parking guidance published on 18 January 2008, through their travel plans NHS boards have a responsibility to work with local and regional partners to help to ensure good access to NHS sites for patients, carers, visitors and staff. At most NHS sites, car parking should be free of charge, however, NHS boards may make reasonable charges for car parking as part of a planned approach to facilitating access to sites and to cover the costs of car park provision.

Nutrition

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it intends to do to encourage healthy eating in primary schools.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the health of Scotland’s children. We have fully supported the passage of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 which will require all schools to put health promotion at the heart of its activities, including the curriculum. The health promotion guidance that will accompany the act will include information on food education. The Curriculum for Excellence draft outcomes and experiences grouped under health and wellbeing, will be published in mid-May as part of the work on the curriculum review, are likely to include opportunities for teachers to develop young people’s knowledge and understanding of current food issues including practical food preparation.

  The act will also introduce new nutritional requirements which will go beyond school lunches and set standards for food and drinks in school vending machines and tuck shops. The Minister for Children and Early Years, Adam Ingram, has considered proposals from an Expert Working Group and has now decided on these nutritional requirements for Scottish schools. The requirements will be written into legislation and apply from August 2008, subject to parliamentary approval. Details of the proposed requirements are available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/91982/0055292.pdf.

  We are currently carrying out a free school meals trial for primary 1 to primary 3 pupils. This is part of our drive to encourage good eating habits from a young age. The trial will enable us to establish whether? the provision of free nutritious school meals in this age group can help bring about a shift towards healthy eating habits and social behaviour both at home and in school.

Regeneration

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7677 by Stewart Maxwell on 20 December 2007, what the total value is of the (a) More Choices More Chances and (b) Workforce Plus funds in 2007-08 and on what basis the social inclusion element of each fund was calculated.

Stewart Maxwell: In 2007-08 the total value of the More Choices More Chances fund was £4.675 million and the total value of Workforce Plus funding (including the New Futures Fund) was £7.028 million. Investment in both programmes was made by areas across government, including social inclusion, in order to reflect the importance of a joined-up commitment to tackling issues of employability.

Telecommunications

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice should be given to young children and adults using mobile phones in response to Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme Report 2007 .

Nicola Sturgeon: The 2007 report of the Mobile Telecommunications Health Research (MTHR) programme, found no association between mobile phone use and any biological or adverse health effects. Advice from the UK governments on mobile phone use is provided in their leaflet on Mobile Phones and Health. This recommends "a precautionary approach" to the use of mobile phones, particularly for children, including keeping calls short, and not using mobile phones when driving. The need to update this leaflet, and the associated advice on Mobile Phone Base Stations and Health, in the light of the findings of the MTHR programme and other research internationally is currently under consideration. Meanwhile, the advice from the UK governments remains as that in the current leaflets.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliament Building

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will be able to determine the nature and extent of the water penetration in the foundations and structures of the building in the area adjacent to the garden level restaurant.

Alex Johnstone: Water penetration and associated work in the area adjacent to the garden level restaurant relates to on-going car park leaks. Investigations, both desk top and physical, are ongoing into the water ingress and we hope to identify an acceptable solution by the end of February. Works will be undertaken thereafter.

Parliament Building

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the cost of repairs to the foundations and structures of the building in the area adjacent to the garden level restaurant will be borne by it or the relevant contractors.

Alex Johnstone: We are determined to pursue recovery of the costs of the works undertaken from the original trade package contractor.

Parliament Building

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what investigations it has initiated into the cause of the ingress of water around the windows of the MSP block.

Alex Johnstone: Following the heavy rain and water ingress experienced recently in the MSP building, investigations were carried out on Sunday 20 January to identify possible sources of water ingress. A potential solution has been identified, a trial of which is planned to be undertaken as soon as possible.